Pin-setting apparatus including sorting means for segregating pins of different types



April 30, 1968 H. n lwnalvmhlnl 3,380,739

PIN SETTING APPARATUS INCLUDING SORTING MEANS FOR SEGHEGATING PINS 0F DIFFERENT TYPES Filed Nov. 5, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet l I 23 L 24 I l 11 #U ,9 4 44M j "58 Y\\3e |2/ "i 22 j 25 I lo j 'r l 2s l- I3 J 1I o I8 o 44 J o 1 -g. l 4 1 o 43 ,/`J

/ 44 o e Il 2o o o 5 Il f wf o l1 Pf f 1| 45 K JJ l5 111 l O w 4 l 47 6' J y 43 46 j 49 YII J J Sim l5 w l /shfj l J I7 i 'i 1 2 l d 62 u 66 e3 I l I 60 eo i 3 l l 'l 3 5 l M iVl 59 59 l F l G. I BY ')Los tiorneY April 30, 1968 H, UNNEMANN 3,380,739

PIN SETTING APPARATUS INCLUDING SORTING MEANS FOR SEGREGATING PINS OF DIFFERENT TYPES Filed Nov. 3, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 HELMUT LINNEMANN INVENTOR.

April 30, 1968 H. LINNEMANN 3,380,739

PIN SETTING APPARATUS INCLUDING soRTING MEANS PoR SEGREGATING PINS GF DIFFERENT TYPES Filed Nov. 3, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 HELMUT LINNEMANN INVENTOR'.

L WT Attorney April 30, 1968 H. L INNEMANN 3,380,739

PIN SETTING APPARATUS INCLUDING SORTING MEANS FOR SEGREGATING PINS DIFFERENT TYPES Filed Nov. 3, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 HELMUT LINNEMANN INVENTOR.

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ttomey April 30, 1968 H. LINNEMANN 3,380,739

PIN SETTING APPARATUS INCLUDING SORTING MEANS Foa SEGREGATING PINS 0F DIFFERENT TYPES Filed Nov. 3, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 HELMUT L|NNEMANN INVENTOR.

April 30, 1968 H. I INNEMANN 3,380,739

PIN SETTING APPARATUS INCLUDING SORTING MEANS FOR SEGREGATING PINS 0F DIFFERENT TYPES Filed Nov. 3, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 HELMUT LINNEMANN I N VEN TOR.

Attorney United States Patent O 3,380,739 PIN-SEHEN@ APPARATUS INCLUDING SORTING MEANS FOR SEGREGATING PINS F DIFFER- ENT TYPES Helmut Linnemann, Uberruhrerstr. 70,

Altendorf (Ruhr), Germany Filed Nov. 3, 1965, Ser. No. 596,187

Claims priority, appiication Germany, Nov. 3, 1964,

Claims. (l. 273-43) My present invention relates to an apparatus for the spotting or setting of free-standing bowling pins and, more particularly, to a device for the automatic positioning of an array or frame of pins upon the pin-receiving surface of a bowling alley.

In the various bowling games, e.g., ninepins or skittles, tenpins or duck pins, a frame or array of accurate positioned bowling pins is disposed at the end of an alley along which a bowling ball is rolled by the player to knock down as many pins as possible. It is known to provide automatic devices for separating the pins from the bowling7 ball, for returning the ball to the player and for sweepingthe falling pins into a trough at the end of the bowling alley for subsequent recovery yby conveyor devices and the deposition of the pins at the predetermined locations of the array. These machines have not, however, been satisfactory for use in certain games in which pins of different types are employed, for example, in some bowling games, e.g., ninepins or skittles, a distinction is made between the taller so-called king pin and the Skittles, or ordinary pins, the king pin being always positioned at a predetermined location of the array. Furthermore, many of the prior-art devices have been incapable of handling the pins so that they stand freely upon their locations of the frame or the varray and require exible elements, such as wires axed to the heads of the pins, for proper positionino of the pins for the next bowling action. These flexible elements become entangled and require time-consuming separation.

lt is, therefore, the principal object of the present inention to provide an improved pin-setting apparatus which is capable of discriminating between pins of various types for proper positioning of same in the array of pins and thus for orienting the pins in games requiring such discrimination.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus for the automatic setting and spotting of pins for a bowling game which permits the pins to be free-standing and dispenses with the flexible elements hitherto required for the positioning of such pins.

These objects and others which will become apparent hereinafter are attained, in accordance with the present invention, -by apparatus which comprises a belt-type first conveyor in the collecting trough or pit at the distal end of the alley into which the fallen pins are displaced, preferably by a movable gate or the like, this conveyor carrying the pins onto an orienting conveyor upon which the pins are aligned and delivered to an uprighting means whereby the pins are given an upright stance regardless of the direction of orientation of the head of the pin.

Prom the uprighting means, the pins are conveyed to a sorting device which, according to this invention, distributes the pins in response to the height thereof via a sensing means responsive to the height of, for example, the king pin. The pins are thus sorted according to type nd are displaced along respective transport paths, preferably constituted as roller conveyors, whence they are conducted via respective elevating-conveyor means to magazines also formed as conveyors and cooperating with distributing conveyors for delivering the pins to each of the 3,38%,739 Patented Apr. 3G, 1968 ice pin-placing mechanism. The latter receives the pins from the respective distributing conveyors and deposits them upon the respective locations of the pin-receiving surface of the alley. Each of these mechanisms is raisable and lowerable in place for deposition of the pins in a vertical orientation.

It will be understood that the apparatus is continuously operable to circulate a much larger number of pins than are used in a single game; e.g., for the game of ninepins, a multiplicity of king pins and a multiple of the eight ordinary pins are employed so that any new array or frame can be established even while the others are being sorted or returned to the magazine. According to a more specilic feature of the invention, the sorting means comprises a switching device for shifting the pins from their normal movement along a conveyor, one of these latter conveyors receiving the king pins while the other carries the ordinary pins to the elevated conveyor means. The sensing device, e.g., a switch or the like or a mechanical sensor, is disposed along the conveyor leading from the uprighting means and is coupled with a switching section of the conveyor for effecting the sorting operation.

According to still another feature of this invention, each of the pin-placing mechanisms comprises a vertically movable support upon which a pair of jaws are displaceable toward and away from one another by a lazytongs for engagement and release of the heads of the pins. The claws of these jaws engage the respective pins Ibelow their heads with play so that the pins can easily be disposed in these jaws by a tilting platform at the end of each distributing conveyor without diculty when the jaws are in a closed condition. A tension spring is advantageously provided between the extensible actuating device and (e.g., a telescoping-tube, rod or cable arrangement) the lazytongs so that the jaws effectively are suspended from this spring which is capable of holding the jaws in a retracted position until the pin is disposed therein. The spring is, however, of insufficient strength to hold up the jaws when the latter carries the pin so that the jaw of each pin-setting mechanism lowers to place the pin upon the predetermined location. Locking means can be provided for release of the pin by some further control action or, preferably, the jaws can be so arranged that as their pins contact the surface of the bowling alley, they are released and the jaws withdrawn upwardly bythe springs.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic plan view of a pinsetting machine according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view taken along the line II-ll of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3A and 3B are fragmentary cross-sectional views taken generally along the line Ill-Ill of FIG. 1 and showing a portion of the uprighting means operative with pins of different orientation;

FIG. 4 is another diagrammatic cross-sectional view taken generally along the line lV-IV of FiG. l;

FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IVA--IVA of FIG. 4;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view in a plane transverse to the plane of FIG. 4 and taken along the line V V of FIG. l;

FGS. 6 and 7 are cross-sectional views taken along the lines VI-VI and VIL-VH, respectively, of FIG. 1; and

FIGS. 8A and 8B are diagrammatic elevational view showing the pin-placing mechanism in different operative positions thereof.

General description In FIG. 1, I show an overall view of a pin-setting apparatus which, in the case of ninepins is designed to set a diamond-shaped array or frame of pins upon :a skittle or bowling alley surface 1, the central pin being taller than the remaining pins and -being designated hereinafter as a kingpin. At the far end of the alley, remote from the motor, there is provided la collecting trough, into which a sweeping mechanism 3 shifts the fallen pins lying on the surface 1 and the bowling balls, if the latter has not entered the trough 1 of its own accord. rl`he floor of the collecting trough 2 is constituted as an endless conveyor belt 4 which is inclined upwardly away from an outlet 19 for the ball in the direction of the movement of the conveyor belt (arrow 18). The delivery end 5 of the conveyor -belt 4 overlies a longitudinally moving conveyor 6 of the uprighting means whereby the generally horizontal or skew pins are oriented in upstanding relationship with the aid of a pair of freestanding lateral guide rails 7 at the discharge end of the conveyor 6. The upright means will be described in greater detail with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B. At the uprighting means 8 of the discharge end of the conveyor 6, the upstanding pins are deposited upon a transverse conveyor 9, running counter to the transverse conveyor 4. A conveyor means 9 leads to a branched automatically operable conveyor arrangement 11 which cooperates with a distributing means for separating the kingpins from the remaining pins and directing the two sorts of pins along respective conveyor paths 34 and 35 of the conveyor means 11. The conveyors 34 and 35, for the ordinary pins and the kingpins, respectively, terminate at respective elevating conveyors 12 and 12', which will -be described in greater detail with reference to FIG. 4 and which carry the pins to the respective magazines 13 and 14 located above the frame of the skittle or alley. From the magazines 13 and 14, individual distributing conveyors 15 and 15' deliver the pins to the individual pin-placing mechanism 16 and 16' for lowering the pins onto their respective places 17 of the array.

First conveyor means As is diagrammatically illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the conveyor 4 (first conveyor means) extends transversely to the alley within the collecting pit or trough 2 and passes around a pair of rollers 4'; conveyor 4 has a multiplicity of further rollers 4 supporting the upper run of this conveyor. T he upward inclination of the conveyor 4 in the direction of the longitudinally operating conveyor 6 can be seen from FIG. 2. The -ball B rolls downwardly along the upper run of the conveyor 4, in a direction opposite to the direction of displacement of this conveyor, by lgravitational force and rolls through a discharge opening 19 which is inclined downwardly and serves to deliver the ball to a ball-return device of conventional type. The outer surface of the conveyor 4 is provided with protuberances 20 which facilitate entrainment of the pins 30 in the direction of displacement of the conveyor 4 (arrow 18) in the direction of the discharge end 5 above which a shield 21 is spacedly disposed for detlecting into a substantially horizontal orientation any pin 30 extending above the opening 21' between the discharge end 5 and the shield 21. As can be seen from FIG. 2, this arrangement insures that the pins 30 fare in a prone position as they pass onto the orienting conveyor 6. The protuberances 20 are of relatively small width transversely to the direction of conveyor movement and of a transverse spacing less than the length of the pins to prevent rolling thereof along the conveyor 4.

Second conveyor means The pin-orienting conveyor 6 co-operates with the lateral guide -plates 7 to align the pins 3) in the direction of displacement of conveyor 6 with the heads 29 of the pins of their bottom 23 oriented forwardly in the direction of displacement. As can be 5651.1. in. HG, 3A, th@ Upright- 4 ing means 8 is effective regardless of the direction of orientation of the longitudinally aligned pins 3l) delivered bythe orienting conveyor 6. In FIG. 3A, for example, the pin 3) is shown with its head 29 lying forwardly in the direction of displacement of the conveyor 6 (arrow 6'). In FIG. 3B, however, the tail or bottom 28 of the pin 30 forms a leading end in the direction of displacement of conveyor 6.

The uprighting means 8 comprises a channel or trough 22 extending substantially parallel to the direction of displacement (18) of the conveyor 4 and perpendicularly to the direction of displacement (6') of the conveyor 6 and opens upwardly with a ilared mouth 26 below the discharge end 25 of the conveyor 6.

An abutment wall 24 is set back from the distal-wall edge 23 of the trough 22 by a distance equal to slightly less than the distance between the head 29 of the pin 30 and its center of gravity 27 (FIG. 3A) while the mouth 26 of the trough 22 is of a width sutiicient to permit the pin 30 to tumble into the trough 22 in the direction of arrow 22 when the pin is oriented as indicated and is delivered by the trough y6. The centers of gravity 27 of the pins 36 are proximal to the bases 28 so that the pins having a tendency to tumble downwardly bottom rst, the drum-shaped or barrel-like conguration of the body of each pin can serve to maintain the heads 29 slightly elevated. Thus, when the bottom 28 of each pin 3i? lies forwardly in the direction of displacement of the conveyor 6 (FIG. 3B), the pins fall, as indicated by the broken lines and arrow 22, bottom l'irst into the trough 22. It will thus be evident that the uprighting means -8 is effective regardless of the direction of orientation of the pins 30 as long as they are aligned longitudinally on the conveyor 6 this being insured by the guide plates 7 which converge in the direction of the uprighting means 8 (FIG. 1).

To ensure the proper upright stance of each pin 30 in the trough 22, I have found it advantageous to ensure that the surface 23' between the wall 23 and the abutment 24 lies substantially at the level of the discharge end 25 of the conveyor 26. The front end or head 29 of each pin 30 is thus guided upwardly when it is oriented in the forward direction. Furthermore, the distance between the abutment 24 and the discharge end 25 of the conveyor 26 is at least equal to the length of the pin 30 and, since the kingpins are similarly oriented, to the length of the kingpins 30 (FIG. 2).

Third conveyor means The floor of the channel 22 is formed by a conveyor 9 of the roller type at the input side 31 of this conveyor. The plane of the axis of the roller 9 of the conveyor 9 (FIGS. 3A, 3B and 4) is oriented downwardly and generally parallel to the conveyor 4 so that the pins 30, 30 tend to move in the direction of arrow 9" to the sorting means 10 (FIG. 5).

Sorting means The sorting means is responsive only to the somewhat higher head 32 of a kingpin 30 (FIG. 4) and can include a sensing means in the form of a mechanical or electrical device such as a switch 32 for triggering the sorting device 10 forwardly thereof. The sorting means 10 can include a conveyor 6 and 36 which is swingable transversely to the conveyor 9 under the control of a hydraulic, pneumatic or mechanical mechanism 39 about a axis parallel to the conveyor 9 to tilt the conveyors 6 and 36 and deposit the kingpin 30' onto the roller conveyor 35 extending parallel to the roller conveyor 34 upon which the ordinary pins continue past the sorting means 10 which is unactivated in the absence of the higher head 32 of the kingpin. In the system shown, the tiltable section 36 of the conveyor at the sorting means 10 is swingable along its side proximal to the conveyor 35. It is also possible, however, to pivotally mount it below or behind its center of gravity on the opposite side. In this case, a lifting of the weight of the pin to be transferred from the section 36 to the conveyor 35 is avoided. This arrangement is facilitated when the conveyor 34 is disposed somewhat above the conveyor 35 whereby the tilting of the section 36 permits the kingpin 36 to glide unimpeded onto the conveyor 35.

Both conveyors 34, 35 comprise, at least in the region of the sorting device 10, guide plates 37 and 33 disposed along their outer walls 5 (FIG. 5) whereby at least the wall 37 in the region of the conveyor section 36 swings with the latter to facilitate the transfer of the kingpins 3G by the mechanism 39 under the control of the switch 33. The downward orientation of the planes of the roller conveyors 34 and 35 permit the pins to travel therealong under their own weight.

In order to prevent a canting of the pins 3l), Sil' in the direction of their displacement along the conveyors 34 and 3S, I provide wire or chain guides 55, 65 along the outside of the conveyors 34 and 35, respectively, which can be driven to facilitate the movement of the pins 30, therealong. Transversely to the elongated element 65, 65' (FIGS. 4 and 5), I provide bar-like holders 66 which may be bifurcated or can merely project laterally from the wires and preferably are cantilevered thereto, as illustrnted at 66 and 66 in FIG. 5. Instead of these cables or wires, a pair of simple guide rails can be provided to Hank the pins and to have simple fixed profiles engageable under the heads of the pins along the necks thereof.

Elevator-conveyor means At the discharge extremities of each of the roller conveyors 34, there is provided a respective elevator 12 or 12' which may extend vertically or may be inclined somewhat to the vertical for delivery of the pins 30 and 30' to the respective magazines 13 and 14. As can be seen from FIGS. 4 and 4A, each of these elevator conveyors 12 and 12 co-operates with a sort of rotatable indexing arm 40a coupled with the conveyor 12 or 12' for feeding the pins 3l) or 3d' individually onto the platforms 4t) spaced along the conveyors 12 or 12 and constituting the respective elevator stages. The indexing structure 40a etc. is conventional in the art of packaging conveyors and need not be described in detail. The individual stages 40 of the conveyors i2 and 12 are tiltable about, for example, the pivots 40 (FIG. 4A) and co-operate with a control cam 41 (FIG. l) for the tilting of each stage 40 as it rises slightly above the respective magazines 1J or 14.

Pin magazines The pin magazines 13 and i4 are also constituted as downwardly inclined roller conveyors and are formed with tiltable sections 43 and 42, respectively, of a width approximately equal to the diameter of the pins and constituted similarly to the tiltable sections 36 previously described. Each of the tiltable sections 43 or 42 is associated with a respective conveyor 15 or 15 of the roller type. The operation of the tiltable sections 43 and 42 is illustrated in FIG. 7 or a tiltable section 43 associated with a particular roller conveyor 15. Guide plates 44 along the magazines 13 and 14 are interrupted at the tiltable sections 43 to form backing plates 45 (FIG. 7) which are tiltable with the respective section 43 by, for example, an electromagnetically operable device such as that illustrated at 39a. As shown in dot-dash lines in FIG. 7, the tilting of each section 43 deposits a respective pin upon the respective conveyor 15 or 15 whence the pin rolls until it engages a stop 46 upon another tiltable section 47 adapted to swing the head of the respective pin between the jaws 4S of the pin-placing mechanisms 16. Wire or chain guides 65a, provided with transverse bars 66a extend along the magazines 13 and 1.4 for maintaining the pins upright and ensuring the desired spacing between the pins. Further cables or chains h d and support bars 661: run alongside each of the conveyor 16 and 15 for similar purpose.

The tiltable stations 47 at the end of each of the rollerconveyor tracks 15 and 15 are provided with actuating mechanisms 39a (FIG. 6) which are triggered electrically or mechanically by the pin-placing devices 16 for the tilting movement of the platforms 47 about axes perpendicular to the conveyors 15 (FIG. 6) to shift the heads of the pins 3l? between the jaws 48 of each pin-placing device.

Pin-placing mechanism (FIGS. 7, 8A, 8B)

rPhe jaws 48 are longitudinally and transversely shiftable upon respective support plates 54 whose slots 54 accommodate the central pivots 55 of the pivotally connected bars 52 forming a lazytongs which engages the jaws 48 via the slots 48'. The supports 54 are mounted upon telescopingly interconnected tubes 49 and can be raised or lowered by wires, rods or these tubes which are vertically shiftable above each of the respective pin locations 17. The claws Sii of the jaws 48 engageable with the heads 29 are provided with shoes 51 which are substantially parallel to the neck of the pins 3) and 36 but which provide a clearance or play into which the head 29 of the pin may be tilted (FIG. 7) in a retracted condition of the pin-placing mechanisms. A tension spring 56 is provided ybetween each of the centrally slidable pivots S5 and the pivot 53 of each lazytongs for drawing the jaws 4S upwardly (FIG. 8A) until the abutment 57 on the slidable pivot 55 engages a stop 58 to close the jaws 48 against the force of springs 56. The tension spring 56 is so dimensioned that it can support the jaws 4S against the weight thereof but not against the weight of a pin inserted into these jaws so that, when the pin is so inserted, the assembly 48, 54 lowers under the weight of the pin to remove the abutment 57 from the stop 58 (FIG. 8A). The pin is thus lowered to the pin-receivin surface and, upon its engagement therewith is released by the action of spring 56 which draws the pivot 55 upwardly to open the jaws 48 (FIG. 8B).

Sweeping means (FIG. l)

The sweeping means 3 for the pin-receiving surface comprises a pair of ralzes or gates 59 pivotally mounted at 63 on either side of the alley and swingable (arrow 6l?) thereacross. The pivots 63 of the gates y59 are guided in rails 61 alongside the pin-receiving surface while the short arms 62 of the gates are guided along the rails 64. A further path 64 of each rail functions during the return movement of the rails to return them to their retracted positions as illustrated. As soon as the apparatus is energized via conventional sequencing means not illustrated, the gates 59 swing across the alley and move longitudinally therealong to sweep the pins to the pit 2. The return rails 64 swing the gates 59 out of the alley upon the commencement of the return stroke so that there is no danger that newly 4positioned pins will be dislodged by the gates. It will be understood, of course, -that only the single guide rail 64 can also be used if there is a satisfactory delay in the emplacing of the pins.

The invention described and illustrated is believed to admit of many modifications within the ability of persons skilled in the art, all such modifications being considered within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a bowling-pin setting machine for the free-standing positioning of pins of at least two types at respective predetermined locations on a pin-receiving surface of a bowling alley, in combination:

a collecting trough at the end of said alley for receiving fallen pins and the bowling ball;

trst conveyor means in said trough movable transversely to said alley for carrying said fallen pins to a discharge side of said conveyor means;

a second, pin-orienting conveyor means receiving pins from said first conveyor means and aligning them substantially longitudinally in the direction of displacement of said second conveyor means;

uprighting means receiving longitudinally oriented and aligned pins from said second conveyor means and successively impar-ting an upright stance thereto regardless of the direction of orientation of the aligned pins;

third conveyor means for conducting the upright pins away from said uprighting means;

sorting means alonf7 said conveyor means for selectively directing pins of the different types along respective transport paths;

respective elevating-conveyor means associated with each of said paths for receiving a succession of pins of the respective type therefrom and elevating said pins above said surface;

respective pin magazines for receiving from each of said elevating-conveyor means pins of the respective type;

a plurality of vertically movable pin-placing mechanisms each associated with a respective pin position of said array for lowering respective pins onto the respective locations on said surface; and

a plurality of distributing conveyors each assigned to one of said pin-placing mechanisms and connected with one of said magazines for receiving a pin therefrom and delivering it to the respective pin-placing mechanism.

2. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said first conveyor means forms the floor of said trough and is inclined upwardly in the direction of said discharge side, said trough being formed with an outlet for said ball adjacent the opposite side of said first conveyor means and inclined downwardly therefrom, said first conveyor means being provided with a multiplicity of protuberances for entrainment of said pins in the direction of said discharge side but permitting movement of said ball toward said outlet, said trough further comprising a shield positioned above said discharge side of said first conveyor means and engageable with the pins upstanding from said first conveyor means for imparting a prone orientation to all of the pins transferred by said first conveyor means to said second conveyor means.

3. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said pinorienting conveyor means is fianked by a pair of guide plates proximal to said uprighting means for longitudinally aligning said pins on said second conveyor means, said uprighting means including an upwardly open channel extending transversely to the direction of displacement of said second conveyor means and having an upwardiy open mouth of a width at least equal to the distance between the center of gravity of the pins and their bottom ends, said second conveyor means terminating at a discharge extremity at a proximal wall of said channel, said proximal wall of said channel defining said mouth with a distal wall of the channel, said uprighting means further including an abutment spaced from said distal wall of said channel in the direction of displacement of said second conveyor means by a distance less than the distance between the heads of the pins and their centers of gravity whereby said pins successively fall into said trough with their bottoms downwardly regardless of the direction of orientation of the heads on said second conveyor means, said distal wall having a surface in the direction of displacement of said pins by said second conveyor means substantially coplanar with said discharge extremity of said second conveyor means, said third conveyor means extending into said trough and forming the fioor thereof.

4. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said transport paths are formed by a plurality of mutually parallel fourth conveyor means, said sorting means including a swingable conveyor section receiving said pins from said conveyor means and passing them onto one of said fourth conveyor means in a normal position of said section and onto another of said fourth conveyor means in an off-normal position of said section, sensing means responsive to a height difference between the pins of dif' ferent types for selectively shifting said section from said normal position into said off-normal position to deposit the respective pins upon the respective fourth conveyor means, said section being pivotal about an axis generally parailel to said third conveyor means, said fourth conveyor means each being provided with a respective guide plate fianking said fourth conveyor means at least in the region of Said sorting means.

5. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said elevating-conveyor means are provided with respective indexing arms operable in response to movement of the elevating-conveyor means for successively depositing the respective pins upon said elevating-conveyor means, said elevating-conveyor means each having a plurality of spaced-apart platforms for receiving the successive pins, said platforms being tiltable for discharge of said pins onto the respective pin magazines, said pin magazines being constituted as respective roller conveyors inclined slightly downwardly from the respective elevating conveyor means to the respective distributing conveyors, said magazines each having a stop wall at their ends remote from said elevating-conveyor means.

6. The combination defined in claim 5 wherein said distributing conveyors extend generally transversely to the respective magazines, said magazines being provided with tiltable sections for receiving the respective pins and swingable about axes parallel to the direction of displacement of the respective pins along the magazines but perpendicular to the direction of displacement of the pins along the respective distributing conveyors for depositing the pins thereon, said sections each having a width in the direction of displacement of said pins along the respective magazines substantially equal to the major diameter of the pins, said magazines being provided with guide walls tiltable with said sections and at least in the region thereof opposite the respective distributing conveyor.

7. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said distributing conveyors are roller conveyors inclined downwardly from the respective magazines to the respective pin-placing mechanisms and are provided with stops at said pin-placing mechanisms for disposing the respective pins adjacent same, said distributing conveyors having respective tiltable sections adjacent said stops and swingable about axes parallel to the respective distributing conveyor for swinging the respective pins into engagement with said pin-placing mechanisms, means for tilting said sections about said axes, said mechanisms each having a pair of movable jaws between which the heads of said pins are disposed upon tilting of said sections.

8. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein each of said mechanisms includes a pair of juxtaposed jaws for receive the respective pins from the respective distributing conveyors, said jaws being mutually parallel and shiftable toward and away from one another for engagement and release of the heads of the pins, said jaws having claws for engagement of the pins below the heads thereof, said mechanisms each further comprising a lazytongs for displacing said jaws toward and away from one another and a pair of tubes relatively shiftable for raising and lowering the respective lazytongs.

9. The combination defined in claim 1 which further comprises sweeping means swingable across said alley and shiftable along the length thereof for carrying the fallen .pins onto said first conveyor means, said sweeping means including a pair of gates pivotally mounted on opposite sides of said alley and swingable thereacross from opposite sides of the alley, and a pair of guide rails for said gates extending along the longitudinal sides of the alley for guiding said gates longitudinally of the alley.

1i). The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said first and second conveyor means are constituted as respective end ess-belt conveyors, said third conveyor means, Said transport paths, said pin magazines and said distributing conveyors are each constituted as a respective roller conveyor, at least one of said roller conveyors having an elongated guide element extening therealong and a bar mounted on said element and projecting transversely thereto over the respective conveyor for engagement with a respective pin to prevent it from tilting in the direction of displacement of the pin by the respective roller conveyor, seid bar and guide element being movable in the same direction as the pins disposed along said one of said roller conveyors.

References Cited UNlTED STATES PAENTS 2,319,925 5/1943 Flanagan 273-43 2,531,167 1l/1950 Simpson 273-43 2,670,205 2/1954 Sherman 273-43 2,697,605 12/1954 Montooth et al. 273-43 3,174,751 3/1965 Martin 273-43 3,272,508 9/1966 Dowd et al. 273-43 ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A BOWLING-PIN SETTING MACHINE FOR THE FREE-STANDING POSITIONING OF PINS OF AT LEAST TWO TYPES AT RESPECTIVE PREDETERMINED LOCATIONS ON A PIN-RECEIVING SURFACE OF A BOWLING ALLEY, IN COMBINATION: A COLLECTING TROUGH AT THE END OF SAID ALLEY FOR RECEIVING FALLEN PINS AND THE BOWLING BALL; FIRST CONVEYOR MEANS IN SAID TROUGH MOVABLE TRANSVERSELY TO SAID ALLEY FOR CARRYING SAID FALLEN PINS TO A DISCHARGE SIDE OF SAID CONVEYOR MEANS; A SECOND, PIN-ORIENTING CONVEYOR MEANS RECEIVING PINS FROM SAID FIRST CONVEYOR MEANS AND ALIGNING THEM SUBSTANTIALLY LONGITUDINALLY IN THE DIRECTION OF DISPLACEMENT OF SAID SECOND CONVEYOR MEANS; UPRIGHTING MEANS RECEIVING LONGITUDINALLY ORIENTED AND ALIGNED PINS FROM SAID SECOND CONVEYOR MEANS AND SUCCESSIVELY IMPARTING AN UPRIGHT STANCE THERETO REGARDLESS OF THE DIRECTION OF ORIENTATION OF THE ALIGNED PINS; THIRD CONVEYOR MEANS FOR CONDUCTING THE UPRIGHT PINS AWAY FROM SAID UPRIGHTING MEANS; SORTING MEANS ALONG SAID CONVEYOR MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY DIRECTING PINS OF THE DIFFERENT TYPES ALONG RESPECTIVE TRANSPORT PATHS; RESPECTIVE ELEVATING-CONVEYOR MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH EACH OF SAID PATHS FOR RECEIVING A SUCCESSION OF PINS OF THE RESPECTIVE TYPE THEREFROM AND ELEVATING SAID PINS ABOVE SAID SURFACE; RESPECTIVE PIN MAGAZINES FOR RECEIVING FROM EACH OF 